


earphones & acacia

by whenmysunrises



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, High School, Kissing, M/M, class outings/field trip, surprise! he heard everything, this is a reupload
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-29 00:34:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18767548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whenmysunrises/pseuds/whenmysunrises
Summary: In which Donghyuck confessed to his best friend while he had his earphones on





	earphones & acacia

Mark Lee liked a lot of things. He liked the colour blue and the number 7. He liked the rush of scoring a shot in a basketball game. He liked the warmth of the sun when you exit a freezing room. He liked routine a lot, the familiarity of it. He liked a lot things, but he usually never dwells one them quite like one of his likes: Lee Donghyuck.

Mark's likes and dislikes are known to a lot of people, with the school magazine firing 20 fast questions for their top school athlete. With girls squealing as they read his 'ideal type for a girl'. ("Jaemin, quick, what's a common quality girls share?", he asked the younger boy. "Mr. Mark, my friend, I am just as gay as you are.") He wrote down "someone with short brown curly hair who can make me laugh".

He would never admit it, but he knew in the back of his mind, had been thinking about his best friend, Donghyuck while writing it down.

He knew it was cheating and he knew he was a coward but when he tried thinking of qualities he liked in a person, and they all just screamed Donghyuck's name. And while Mark was fine with people knowing his favourite song and his go-to romcom, he would not know what to do if people found out about his (not so) tiny crush on his best friend.

 

♡

 

The two boys didn't have to ask one another if they wanted to be partners for the school trip, it was automatic. No matter how popular the older boy got as they grew older, everyone knew no one could replace the honey skinned boy in his life and Mark liked it that way.

They sat in their seats (At the back, furthest away from everyone.) Donghyuck says it's because he wants to be away from everyone's noise, but he knew it was just because he liked cuddling Mark too much and didn't like the weight of the judging eyes on them when they do. He doesn't dwell on that fact too much because his heart starts beating irregularly when he does.

(The only time he allows his mind to dwell on these thoughts are on nights where he lay in bed where he can blush freely, away from people's knowing glances.)

"I get the window seat this time, you loser", the younger said before flopping down, curling to his side almost immediately. Just as usual.

Maybe Donghyuck and his relationship was Mark's favourite routine.

 

♡

 

Hours into their trip, Mark grew tired of Donghyuck ranting about their History teacher. Donghyuck knew Mark was not listening, this happened very often. He would continue talking for hours, and it was days like this that the older didn't even bother to pretend like he was listening. He pulled on his earphones as a sign to Donghyuck that says 'i love you but i'd rather hold your hand and listen to music and close my eyes'.

He didn't think Donghyuck got the hint because the boy just continued talking for a couple of minutes. The black-haired boy was choosing a new song to play when he heard the younger say,

"Mark-hyung, I'm only saying thing cause I know you aren't listening".

He thought it was wrong to act innocent but his curiosity got the best of him and he decided to stay in character, eyes still staring at his phone, pretending to scroll through it and read, hovering over song titles for a couple minutes now.

"I only say this out loud to myself. And I think I would feel better if I say it to you, even if I'm only fooling myself cause you obviously can't hear me.", he chuckled bitterly.

Mark's heart started beating a little faster. _Thump. Thump. Thump._

_Is he gonna say what I think he's gonna say?_

"I know I'm a coward. But God, you're a coward, too. We're both cowards in this relationship.", he continued. _Thump. Thump. Thump._

_Did he just say relationship? Like what relationship? Like that relationship or-_

"And I just wanted to say, after all these years, I think I still like you." His heart stopped thumping altogether. _Did he just say that?_

"And hyung, I know it's wrong. I know I'm disgusting for thinking and hoping your affectionate gestures mean more than it actually does. What kind of best friend am I? God, I'm disgusting and I'm sorry.", He then stopped and turned away.

Mark thought it was funny how not much has to happen on the outside for everything to happen all at once on the inside. To his classmates, Mark is just reading a book and Donghyuck is just turned to the window, sleeping. To both boys, happiness, heartbreak, love, confusion, hopefulness, and hopelessness swirl around them in different colours.

Mark didn't know what to do. He was often the type to crush on a person and turn the other way and run once the person likes him back. He wasn't deceitful, no. He just didn't see them worth the emotional weight that a relationship brought. But with Donghyuck, he wanted it so, so much. He was so, so worth it.

He heard the younger sniffle once. Twice. He had to do something.

 

♡

 

They arrived at their destination, they were told they were to go hiking and enter caves. They had to stick by their partners and even though he knew Donghyuck tried to act as normal as he could, Mark could still see the sadness behind his sunshine smile and it hurt him.

They were walking inside the caves and the rocks were insanely slippery. Donghyuck's knee just recently healed from his last football match (Mark carried him home that night while he was crying out. He barely stopped his own tears from falling at the sight of the boy he loved in pain.) He felt Donghyuck's heart beat rapidly, pressed against his back as he carried him once more.

Donghyuck, the boy he has been pining after for a year and a quarter, his bestfriend and soulmate, liked him back. He prayed the other boy couldn't feel his own heart beat, which was racing.

He couldn't take the silence anymore, "Hyuckie?", he called.

The other boy hummed in reply. "Earlier... In the bus.", he started.

He felt the boy propped behind him tense up. He stopped walking.

"I wasn't playing music... and I heard-"

Donghyuck jumped off his back and shakily ran from him. He tried calling for him, grabbing his hand, but the younger was too fast. He continued to walk but he felt so, so dim without his sun with him.

 

♡

 

The group of students have gathered around inside the dark cave, only having their flashlights illuminate his surroundings, but somehow his eyes easily land on his best friend. He was sitting down on a long rock, massaging his knee.

He felt guilty, he could have saved him some pain by carrying him. _Stupid, stupid Mark. If only you knew how to shut up._

He sat down next to him, feeling confidence surge through him. The guy who he has been crushing on for a year likes him too and contrary to what he's been doing for so long, he will not coward down now. Donghyuck's eyes tensed when he saw him, he quickly tore his gaze and settled in on the cave's floor, lowering his head. He looked so small and afraid, Mark just wanted it gone.

The tour guide told them about the history of the cave, how soldiers hid there during the war. He asked every student gathered to turn off all the flashlights to really feel how it was during the time the soldiers hid there, hundreds of years ago. They all shut their flashlights, and as soon as it was completely dark, he felt Donghyuck's hand reach out to grab his in panic.

He had always been afraid of the dark and Mark was always there to hold his hand. It hurt the older boy how he quickly retreated his hand, as if he burnt his hand touching Marks. Despite this, Mark grabbed his hand, interlocking their fingers and squeezing his palm lightly.

_I'm here. I'm here and I love you._

He felt Donghyuck's breath against his cheek, he felt his face very close to his. He just wanted this to end. This awkward sadness that was never present in his years of knowing the other. He didn't like it, not at all and he had to do something.

Still in darkness, Mark let go of his hand that was holding Donghyuck's. He slowly lifted it up, finding the other's cheek and cupping it softly. He felt the other's breath hitched. His own lips found his even in all the darkness and everything was so, so soft.

It was nothing like any of Mark's past girlfriends or boyfriends. Same physical feeling but for the first time, something was blooming inside of him. _Acacia_ flowers, yellow like Donghyuck's favourite colour, bloomed oh so lovingly.

He pulled away from his soft kiss and stood up started walking, pulling the other boy softly behind him. They have all turned on their flashlights and ventured on. Mark shone his own flashlight on the younger, seeing him red as an apple. He couldn't stop his smile from growing and his heart from screaming.

"Don't shine your flashlight on me, you brat, I'm shy.", he said in the scolding tone, but his voice was too soft, betraying his words. They walked hand in hand for the rest of the trip. Mark hoped they would for the rest of their lives, too.

**Author's Note:**

> hi!! this is a reupload from my old markhyuck oneshot collection called "a hundred expressions of adoration" but i felt pressured to finish so i decided to post them individually!! hope you guys like it ♡♡♡


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